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When a car’s odometer would hit 100,000 miles, “it was almost a magic threshold that meant the car was probably worn out,” says Kay Wynter, who runs an auto service center in Fort Myers, Fla., with her husband, Terry. But thanks to improvements in car design and maintenance, the milestone of 100,000 miles now means something very different. Although some cars are ready for trade-in at that threshold, many others can travel twice as far without major repairs. What allows one car to pass the 100,000-mile barrier with few repair bills, while another is ready for the junkyard? It’s all about preventive medicine. “It’s just like when you get to be 70 and everyone tells you the same thing: Exercise, eat right, take care of yourself,” says Lauren Fix, author of “Lauren Fix’s Guide to Loving Your Car” (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008). Feeding your car the right things and taking it for regular checkups will make all the difference. Open the Book The key t ... read more

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For the past five years or so, Ben and his friend, Shirley, both have owned the same model car and have driven about the same number of miles. Their driving habits are similar, so it would stand to reason that the repair histories for both vehicles should be about the same, right? Wrong! While Shirley has never had a major problem with her car, Ben has had numerous malfunctions, breakdowns and unexpected repair bills. Could Ben’s car simply be a “lemon”? Maybe, but Ben’s luck probably has more to do with the difference in the way Shirley and Ben care for their vehicles. Shirley faithfully follows the suggested maintenance schedule for her car, while Ben has a tendency to forget about, procrastinate, or otherwise neglect his maintenance recommendations. Ben has an “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” attitude. Shirley knows that practicing good preventive maintenance is the best way to avoid major mechanical breakdowns and to protect t ... read more